5 Tips to Take Care of Your Skin During Summer

I walk to work five days a week. The walk takes about 20 minutes, which means that much sun exposure. Although I walk between the safe hours in the morning, I’m still scared to get parched skin and for my skin to darken. I need to try to maintain my face and body tone because I find it expensive to change foundation and concealer. #firstworldproblems There are also some months that I work in Ortigas. Since I often take the MRT, my walk to the office is longer at 30-minutes. Not only do I have to walk that long under the sun, there’s also the EDSA pollution. Dear lord. I had to step up my skin protection.

Let me share with you what I do to protect my skin from this extreme summer heat. I hope this five-item list can give you an idea how to prevent your skin from sun damage.

1. Sunscreen or sunblock
I prefer to use non-greasy and water-resistant sunscreen for both face and body when in the city, while it rarely matters to me if the sunscreen’s oily or greasy when in the beach.

From what I know though, it wasn’t until a few years ago that non-greasy sunscreens became available in the local market. Sunscreens that do not leave a white cast were also difficult to find. Now there are many options that we now need to understand what would be best for our skin. I won’t go technical since I’m not an expert on this, but there are many resources in the internet (Google is your friend 😉 ) where you can learn about UVA/UVB protection, the definition of the SPF numbers, reapplication tips, etc.

Nivea was the first brand I encountered that sold body lotions with sun protection. Eventually, they released a non-greasy spray type, which I bought in a heartbeat because, at the time, my feet got so brown when they used to be one of the pale parts of my body. 😆

The first Asian sunscreen brand I used was from Biore and it’s the UV Perfect Bright Milk SPF 50. It can be used for both face and body that’s non-greasy with a powder-finish feel and has great sebum control. Another Biore sunscreen I recently acquired is the UV Perfect Spray SPF 50+ PA++++, which was a lucky find in Watsons, SM Megamall. It’s an aerosol spray-type sunscreen that’s also for face and body. It feels sticky at first, but not once it sets. The first face sunscreen I used was Clinique City Block SPF40. Effective sunscreen for me; provides a bit of coverage. It feels a little greasy on first application, but sets to a slightly dewy finish.

2. Face spray/mist
There’s nothing like spritzing on a face mist especially after some time under the sun. Face mists will help refresh, moisturize, and hydrate our skin.

I don’t think there’s a lot of face sprays options in the Philippines especially under the very affordable price range, but I’ve seen some from Innisfree, Nature Republic, and L’Oreal (theirs has SPF).

3. Face and body masks
Masks help soothe, hydrate, and moisturize the skin. I find that it prevents dryness and reduce occurrence of sun burns.

There are many face masks options to choose now. Like sunscreens, we also need to understand what our skin needs that’s also particular to our skin type. There are face masks for normal, dry, and oily skin. I use face masks most often when I travel or if I had a whole day outdoor activity. At the moment, I use Sulwhasoo Overnight Vitalizing Mask EX, which is a favorite of mine, and the COSRX Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask. I also use the Nature Replubic Aloe Vera Gel (Php250) for both face and body. If you want a mask that doesn’t require washing off in the morning, I highly recommend that popular Nature Republic gel.

4. Lip balm with SPF
Lips can also get burned and very dry under the sun, so it’s best to have one with you. Some lipsticks have SPF too. I think Clinique and Clarins’ has SPF in their lipsticks.

I have a ton of lip balms that I use alternately. I don’t use them too often though except when I want to give my lips a break from lipsticks since I slather on a lip mask or balm every night before bed.

5. Water
Besides that we need water to keep ourselves from dizziness and headaches, we need internal hydration to prevent dry skin and lack of “skin glow”. I drink caffeine like a mofo, so I need to drink water more than the said minimum.

Those are very basic tips, but I’m positive not everyone pays attention to sun protection. If sun protection is not part of your routine, then it’s best to begin now. Your skin will thank you in the future. 😉

Do let me know (by leaving a comment below) if you want reviews of any of the products mentioned above, although I do intend to blog about them… Eventually. 😛

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